LETTER: Rubio can't serve

Published: Monday, December 17, 2012 at 09:50 AM.

Since the Daily News has begun associating Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with 2016 presidential coverage (editorial, “The travels of Marco Rubio,” Dec. 6), the record should include evidence that questions Rubio’s constitutional qualifications in accordance with Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5, to serve as president.
Sen. Rubio has my respect, but the U.S. Constitution trumps my personal observation as well as any party affiliation.
The Constitution requires our president to be a “natural born citizen,” which is distinct and different from being a “citizen” as discussed in the 14th Amendment. Barack Obama, whose father was a British subject and never a U.S. citizen, fails to legally meet the “natural born citizenship” requirement to serve as president. Our legal system is corrupt and has no backbone to enforce the Constitution, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
There is ample legal precedent that establishes “natural born citizenship” as applying to a person born of two parents who are American citizens at the time of their offspring’s birth. Marco Rubio was born in 1971 in Miami to parents who were citizens of Cuba. Not until the 1975-76 time frame did his parents become naturalized citizens of the United States.
Marco Rubio was born a citizen of the United States as well as a citizen of Cuba, thus having dual citizenship at birth but not being a “natural born citizen” of the United States — a requirement to serve as president.
Sen. Rubio can serve our nation in virtually any capacity, but not legally as president of the United States. The Constitution is the law of the land.

— HARRY RILEY
Crestview

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Since the Daily News has begun associating Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with 2016 presidential coverage (editorial, “The travels of Marco Rubio,” Dec. 6), the record should include evidence that questions Rubio’s constitutional qualifications in accordance with Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5, to serve as president.
Sen. Rubio has my respect, but the U.S. Constitution trumps my personal observation as well as any party affiliation.
The Constitution requires our president to be a “natural born citizen,” which is distinct and different from being a “citizen” as discussed in the 14th Amendment. Barack Obama, whose father was a British subject and never a U.S. citizen, fails to legally meet the “natural born citizenship” requirement to serve as president. Our legal system is corrupt and has no backbone to enforce the Constitution, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
There is ample legal precedent that establishes “natural born citizenship” as applying to a person born of two parents who are American citizens at the time of their offspring’s birth. Marco Rubio was born in 1971 in Miami to parents who were citizens of Cuba. Not until the 1975-76 time frame did his parents become naturalized citizens of the United States.
Marco Rubio was born a citizen of the United States as well as a citizen of Cuba, thus having dual citizenship at birth but not being a “natural born citizen” of the United States — a requirement to serve as president.
Sen. Rubio can serve our nation in virtually any capacity, but not legally as president of the United States. The Constitution is the law of the land.